Sources and materials
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8. Sources and Materials
The study and enhancement of the Michaelic cult in the Matese and Upper Caserta areas are based on an interweaving of written sources, oral testimonies, visual documentation, and field research. The variety of sources reflects the layered and living nature of devotion to Saint Michael, which has been expressed over the centuries through both spoken word and carved stone or votive imagery.
Oral and Photographic Archive (In Progress)
One of the main objectives of the project is the creation of an archive of living memory, structured into:
• Interviews and testimonies collected from residents, the elderly, parish priests, and local walkers on customs, rites, and beliefs related to Saint Michael.
• Photographic documentation of Michaelic sites (caves, shrines, frescoes, altars), ex-votos, celebrations, historical maps.
• Audio recordings of songs, prayers, traditional tales, and blessings linked to the agricultural and pastoral cycle.
These materials are intended to form part of the multimedia section of the Archive of Memory, both in the local wiki and in possible travelling exhibitions or digital publications.
Local Bibliography and Research Articles
Among the written sources used or recommended for further study:
• Local and religious history books:
G. Vitale, Gioia Sannitica. Profilo storico-religioso, Edizioni G.S., 2008.
A. Lanni, La Grotta di San Michele a Faicchio, Pro Loco Faicchio, 2015.
R. De Masi, Riti e santi del Matese, SannioPress, 1999.
• Academic studies and conference proceedings:
Proceedings of the conference “Culto micaelico e spiritualità rupestre nel Sannio e nel Matese” (UNISANNIO, 2018).
Articles from the journal Rivista Storica del Sannio (2002–2022), focusing on Alife, Faicchio, Guardiaregia.
• Ecclesiastical sources:
Diocesan Archives of Alife-Caiazzo
Parish bulletins and collected homilies (1950–present).
Online References and Useful Links
• https://camminodisanmichele.org ? National project of Michaelic Walks
• https://www.caipiedimontematese.it/ ? Hiking trails in the Matese
• https://www.diocesialifecaiazzo.it ? Local religious news and liturgical calendars
“The sources are not only to be sought in books: they live in the voices, in the hands, in the footsteps of those who have walked with Michael, even without knowing it.”